The people seek God daily, delight to draw near, and ask for His ways. But something isn’t right. God takes no notice of them. He doesn’t see their service. He sees their sin.

In the church today, how many think they are good Christians for reading their verse of the day and offering a little prayer of the day, asking God to bless their day. And yet, God may want to vomit them out.

We don’t please God with our ritual sacrifices. He’s not pleased with outward expressions of humility, either. What’s wrong with these things? They were self-serving.

He’s pleased with righteousness. He’s pleased with selflessness. He’s pleased with love. He’s pleased with caring for the poor, for those who will give you nothing in return, a show of selfless love. And He’s pleased with proclamations of His truth and righteousness, teaching others the truth of God’s word so that they can get free.

He gives wonderful promises to those who live in such a way. He promises to go before them and be a guard behind them. He promises them speedy healing. He promises to answer, “Here I am,” when we call. He will guide us continually and satisfy our desire and strengthen our bones. In us will be a spring of water that will not fail.

Not only that, He will use us for His purposes. He will use us as He rebuilds, repairs, and restores.

There is one last section of conditions and promises in Isaiah 58. It says that if we honor God’s sabbath and not go our own ways, seek our own pleasure, or speak our own words, then we will delight in the Lord and ride on the heights of the earth.

Believers live in the continual Sabbath rest. We’re to always honor God by choosing His ways, not our own. We don’t get me time. It’s all His time. We don’t get vacations where we get to indulge the flesh. It’s all His time. Our bodies, our time, our everything are His. There is great reward for those who seek HIM. Make Him and His pleasure your desire.